At least 20 killed as huge blast rocks Somali capital (PHOTO, VIDEOS)

A huge explosion from a truck bomb hit a busy road in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, police say, adding that twenty people were killed. The blast was reportedly followed by gunfire.

The incident took place in the center of the city where government offices, hotels, restaurants, and shops are located, police say. At least 15 people were injured, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein said, AP reports.

“It was a truck bomb. It exploded at the K5 Junction,” Hussein told Reuters adding that “the scene is still burning.”

Hussein told AP that the explosion occurred as security forces were following the truck that had raised suspicions. The blast apparently targeted a local hotel, he added.

Witnesses say that the explosion was followed by gunfire.

The incident took place two days after the head of the US Africa Command was in Mogadishu to meet with Somalia’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Al-Shabab militant group based in Somalia has recently staged attacks on army bases and city centers across the southern and central parts of the country.